Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

By Tink's Planner, Kathy F.
Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort is designed after a 1940's style hunting and fishing lodge and has deluxe studios, one bedroom villas, two bedroom villas and three bedroom grand villas. All the villas include a full sized kitchen, living room and a washer and dryer.  Most rooms are only accessible by stairs because the buildings are raised to prevent flood damage during storms and hurricanes. Some accessible rooms can be found in the main building, but must be requested ahead of time. When I stayed there in 2018, I was in a two bedroom villa and found the room to be very comfortable and clean.

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Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort is not technically on a beach, but there is access to the beach about one mile away by shuttle, walking, biking or driving yourself. The beach is open for public use and has limited parking which fills up quickly in the morning so by the afternoon, driving yourself is not even an option during peak season. The beach offers umbrellas and lounge chairs to rent. Disney's Beach House is located right at the beach and is only available to use for guests of Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort. The Beach House has a large pool, a splash area, pool tables, games, lounge chairs, and a quick service location called Signals. The Beach House was actually very useful for my family because my young daughter was terrified of the ocean at the time and could hang out at The Beach House with me while the rest of our group enjoyed the beach just outside. The main downside of this beach is that it is not convenient to get back to the resort should you need to access your room for anything.

Activities at this resort were plentiful and the kids in our group especially loved the Big Dipper pool.  This pool area features a water slide, a large pool, and a toddler pool with fountains and a hot tub. Cast members were out by the pool area most of the day playing games and entertaining guests. The Big Dipper pool has easy access to Tide Me Over quick service restaurant where I enjoyed getting a daily Dole Whip to eat by the pool. We found a playground and lawn games throughout the resort such as mini golf, shuffleboard, bocce ball, table tennis and basketball that were lots of fun for kids and adults alike. Another favorite activity was going on a dolphin watching cruise that we booked at the resort. An outside company came to pick us up by boat right at the resort and provided us with donuts, coffee and juice as we searched for dolphins which we found nearby in the water surrounding Disney's property. 

Pluto is the only character that visits Disney's Hilton Head Island and he can easily be found by looking at the weekly schedule that the resort gives guests during check in. One very special feature of this resort is its mascot, a Golden Retriever named Shadow who lives at the resort and even has her own dog house out front. In Disney fashion, the grand finale of my trip was a firework show on the last night which could be viewed from the Big Dipper Pool or the pier.

Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort does not offer much in food service besides basic quick service meals, but there is a nice marina right next door within walking distance with lots of options for sit down meals. There are also several popular restaurants around the island within 10-20 minutes of driving, but many of them require advanced reservations during peak season. Many of the restaurants around the island even offer discounts for guests staying at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort.

I felt like Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort is a fun, unique and relaxing getaway in South Carolina. I especially enjoyed learning about the surrounding areas and experiencing the charm of the island. I will definitely visit this amazing Disney location again and again! 

Tink’s Magical Vacations can help book your family’s next vacation at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort.  Contact us today and let’s start planning your magical vacation!